How to get good engagement from your dog

I don’t use a “watch me” or “look” cue with Capri. Instead, I teach her through context when it’s time to engage with me and when she can focus on her surroundings. Constantly prompting your dog to pay attention to you or using food to lure them isn’t real engagement, and it doesn’t foster true engagement in the long term (though there are situations where luring can be useful for management purposes).

What I do is reward her for offering attention naturally in public settings. This means I reinforce behaviors like following me, making eye contact, stopping when I stop, and ignoring major distractions. If your dog isn’t offering these behaviors, it could be because the environment is too challenging, or their needs haven’t been met first. Expecting constant engagement is unrealistic, and creating context is key — for example, using a long line on walks allows for sniffing and exploration, while a six-foot leash in a store signals training and focus time. Not asking for engagement doesn’t mean you ignore it; you can still reward it when your dog offers it naturally, such as giving reinforcement when they check in on a hike.

Engagement is solid when your dog offers it consistently, and at that point, you can start to make the environment more challenging. It’s not always a clear-cut process, but these are general guidelines that can help.

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